Within the overall negative outlook for public buildings, contractors in the Southwest appear set to suffer the least, with 23 percent expect the market to improve and 33 percent expecting the marking to deteriorate, a net reading of -10 percent. Once again contractors in the South appear headed for a difficult year, with 14 percent expecting demand for public buildings to improve and 50 percent expecting it to decline, a net reading of -36 percent. Private office construction looks set to expand slightly in the Northeast, with 28 percent of contractors there predicting activity will increase in 2013,.
